ATLANTA. May 4: Two-time defending champion Michael Chang moved closer to a title at the AT and T Challenge tennis tournament by holding off unseeded Brazilian Fornando Meligeni on Friday to advance to the semifinals, reports Reuter.

The top-seeded Chang roared back from a 1 -5 second set deficit on the Atlanta clay to beat Meligeni 6-1, 7-5.

Moroi can Karim Alami, ranked 78th but seeded sixth in a field bereft of top level players aside from Chang, reached his first career semi final earlier Friday.

Alami earned a meeting with the fourth-ranked Chang by upsetting third seeded Ar gentlne Javier Frana 2-6. 7-6.

Second seed Richey Reneberg narrowly averted upset when he came track from a break down In the third set to lieal fellow American Bryan Shelton 7-6 (11-9). 3-6. 7 5.

It was one of those matches when you look back you have no Idea how you won It said Reneberg

I thought he outplayed me in the second and third set and I was lust lucky to win bul 1 dldn I deserve to win." admitted the second seed, who will face Nicklas Kuiti in the semis after the Swede took a pair ol tie-breaks from Amen can Vinc e Spadea 7-0 and 7-3 Chang wasted no time in jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first set against the 82nd-tanked Meligeni But the momentum switched dramatically in the second set when the Brazilian capitalised on several loose errors by Chang.